Just two days earlier, he had been released by Cumbria Police without charge after he was suspected of raping Ms Korosi - a decision now under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

As he was jailed for life at Carlisle Crown Court today, judge Mr Justice Oakenshaw criticised the force for freeing Korosi, allowing him to commit a 'murder of quite unusual savagery and brutality, causing the most dreadful of injuries'.

The court heard how Verebres smashed a window to gain entry to Ms Korosi's home at 6am last September.

Once inside, he beat her so viciously with a sharp rock that he left a 'gaping wound in her neck'.

Melinda Korosi, 33, (pictured left and right) was murdered on September 13 last year

Police at the scene of the crime in Carlisle: When officers arrived at the scene Verebres told them: 'It's too late, she's dead'

Neighbours who heard the window smash and a woman scream alerted police, who found Verebres covered in blood next to Ms Korosi's body. He told officers: 'It's too late. She's dead.'

Ms Korosi, a qualified English teacher who worked in a pizza shop, had told police that he routinely subjected her to abusive and controlling behaviour, which included forcing her to have sex.

The pair had met in their native Hungary in 2008 but split last July after he was jailed for attacking her.

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He was jailed for 100 days but served just 50 before being released on licence.

The judge said: 'It was a murder of quite unusual savagery and brutality, causing the most dreadful of injuries.

'For reasons which I don't begin to understand, [Verebres] was released without charge, still subject to the terms of his licence, and that decision is now under review by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.'

Ms Korosi had told police that he routinely subjected her to abusive and controlling behaviour, which included forcing her to have sex

Miklos Verebres was jailed for life and must serve at least 28 years before he is released

At Carlisle Police HQ after his arrest for murder, he told officers: 'I know what I did. I wanted to kill her.'

Two months later, the defendant admitted the killing in court, but said he was guilty of manslaughter through a 'loss of control' rather than murder.

He then claimed he had arrived at Korosi's home after the attack and said he arrived there to be confronted by a knife-wielding stranger.

He said the killer had spoken his native Hungarian but the man was a stranger, and claimed the man threatened to kill him also if he spoke of what he had seen.

But the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict after just one hour and 45 minutes.

He was jailed for life and must serve at least 28 years before he is released.